A recent survey has laid bare the mounting challenges facing the facilities management sector, with understaffing, budget constraints, and sluggish technology adoption emerging as critical issues. Conducted by SFG20, the industry standard for building maintenance, the study polled 190 professionals across healthcare, real estate, and the built environment. The findings paint a picture of an industry under strain but determined to innovate as it heads into 2025.
The survey identifies improving compliance and safety as the top priority for facilities management professionals. Yet, 14% of respondents admitted uncertainty about meeting building maintenance compliance standards, while just 23% plan to boost investment in these areas. With 77% citing compliance as at least a moderate challenge, the sector faces a complex web of regulatory demands that many struggle to navigate.
According to the survey, 75% of respondents named budget constraints as their biggest hurdle. Compounding this, 40% reported a budget decrease over the past year, with 13% describing the cut as significant. For 69% of professionals, budgets have either stagnated or shrunk compared to the previous year. Rising energy costs, inflation, and supply chain disruptions are making it harder to maintain quality services while keeping expenses in check. Reducing operational costs ranks as the second-highest priority, underscoring the financial tightrope the industry walks.
Staffing shortages are another acute concern. A striking 80% of respondents said their facilities management teams are understaffed, with 24% labelling the shortfall as significant. This talent gap threatens to undermine efforts to meet compliance and safety goals, as overstretched teams grapple with mounting workloads. The combination of shrinking budgets and workforce deficits has left many organisations scrambling to deliver essential services.
Technology offers a potential lifeline, with 53% of respondents rating digital transformation as a highly important strategic priority. Tools like AI, asset mapping, and system integrations are seen as ways to boost efficiency, cut costs, and strengthen compliance. But adoption remains uneven. High costs were cited by 33% as the primary barrier, while 19% pointed to difficulties integrating new systems with existing ones. A lack of internal expertise troubled 16%, and 17% noted resistance to change within their organisations.
Kirsty Cogan, managing director at SFG20, offered insight into the sector’s direction. “As the facilities management industry evolves, improving the quality of asset data, achieving compliance, and controlling costs will be the key priorities in 2025,” she said. “The survey findings highlight the significant pressures faced by professionals in the sector but also show how they are driving change and innovation to address these challenges.”
Cogan sees technology as central to progress. “It’s encouraging to see the industry increasingly prioritising technology as a vital tool for achieving compliance and reducing operating costs,” she added. “To overcome the significant challenges facing the sector, technology must play a central role. Recognising this, SFG20 are incorporating technologies such as AI search and asset mapping into our software and developing API integrations to assist industry with facilities management systems connectivity. A great way to start is to build a technology roadmap that is aligned to your organisation’s objectives.”